Mourinho recommended Bundesliga-winning manager to Real Madrid years ago | OneFootball

Real Madrid opted to extend their partnership with coach Carlo Ancelotti around Christmas last year, with the Italian being handed a contract extension until 2026.

There were murmurs of Ancelotti potentially taking over the Brazilian national team, prompting Real Madrid to search for suitable successors at the time.

One of the names who particularly appeared to the Merengues was former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso.

His work with Bayer Leverkusen has earned him immense plaudits and today he led his team to a historic league title by triumphing over Werder with a whopping 5-0 scoreline.

Leverkusen’s impeccable record of 25 wins and four draws in the Bundesliga has solidified their unbeaten status, culminating in the dethroning of Bayern Munich.

Jose Mourinho recommended Alonso’s appointment years ago

Indeed, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho recommended the signing of Xabi Alonso to Florentino Perez years ago.

Mourinho coached the Spanish midfielder from 2010 to 2013 and thus has a good understanding of his intellect and approach toward the game.

“Xabi’s father was a coach and he later became a great player. His position on the field and his knowledge of the game was always very high,” Mourinho professed.

“Therefore, if you put all that knowledge together, I think that Xabi has the conditions to be a great coach,” he added.

An option to replace Ancelotti down the line

While Ancelotti’s renewal has ruled out Alonso’s arrival in the near future, Los Blancos continue to watch his progress with interest and have preemptively planned to replace him with Ancelotti in 2026.

In fact, the 42-year-old harbors ambitions of eventually assuming the reins at Real Madrid as well.

Alonso’s choice to extend his contract with Bayer Leverkusen by two years reportedly stemmed from his aspiration to one day make the transition to the Spanish Captial.